Frog Skin Could Be Key to Treating Superbugs, Research Says

Frog skin holds a potential source of antibiotics that could treat superbugs, according to a study from United Arab Emirates University.

The study has already revealed more than 100 substances on 6,000 frog species with the ability to kill bacteria. Now research teams are trying to alter them to make useful medicine for humans, the BBC reported.

Frog skin could be a breakthrough in fighting drug resistant bacteria, like MSRA, which is becoming a growing problem.

“They've been around 300 million years, so they've had plenty of time to learn how to defend themselves against disease-causing microbes in the environment,” Dr. Michael Conlon, lead author of the study, said.

The substances extracted from the frog skin are either attacked in the bloodstream or are toxic, and need to be altered in order to be safe for humans.

Conlon says in order to utilize these valuable substances from frogs, it is imperative that the population of the frogs stay elevated.

"Some frog species, including those that may contain potentially valuable medicinal substances, are in jeopardy worldwide due to loss of habitat, water pollution, and other problems," he said.